How to A/B test widgets

Summary

Log in to GetSiteControl → create two widgets that will be tested against each other

Click A/B on each widget → choose Test 1

Activate the two widgets

A/B tests in progress on the left will show the list of your active tests → click Details

To stop the test, click Stop on the A/B tests page

A/B testing allows you to use reliable data to make smart decisions about your widget elements. You create a widget, duplicate it, then make changes to the duplicate. This is considered an "experiment," and the results of the test will reveal if the changes you made had a positive effect. In other words, you compare several versions of the same widget to learn which one works better. Here's how you can set up an A/B test:

Step 1

Create two versions of a widget, two variations you want to be tested against each other. If you already have one widget you can use the Clone button to duplicate it and make changes to the duplicate. Name your widgets so that it is easier for you to tell them part.

Step 2

Press the A/B button on each of the widgets you want to include in a test and choose a test, e.g., Test 1 (make sure you are adding them to the same test).

Step 3

You will see a new block appear in your dashboard - A/B tests in progress. This is the list of all the tests that are currently running. If you want to see how the tests are going click the Details link.

Step 4

On the A/B tests page you can see how the tests are going: how many days they have been running for, how many impressions and hits each of the versions have. The CTR (click-through rate) is the metric that shows which variation is performing better.

When there is enough data and you are ready to make a decision click the Stop button and choose either to deactivate the less successful variations or delete them.

You can have up to three tests running at the same time. And you can add more than two versions of a widget to the same test if necessary.